Composing a score for a film can be one of the most demanding and complicated tasks in the filmmaking process. MasterClass, an internet educational platform, has taken up the challenge to bring Hans Zimmer into your living room so he can teach you how to do just that. But is the course worth the $90?
MasterClass: Hans Zimmer Teaches Film Scoring
MasterClass, an internet educational platform that “takes a unique approach to online learning by working with globally-recognized instructors” has been offering the “Hans Zimmer Teaches Film Scoring” course for a few months now at the reasonable price of $90. It seems that this is one of the most desired classes on MasterClass, with numerous ads and shares on Facebook causing the filmmaking community to get pretty excited about having the privilege to listen to this guy. But why?
Hans Zimmer is probably one of cinema’s most important and influential composers, and is the mastermind behind genius pieces of music for blockbusters such as The Rock, Gladiator, Sherlock Holmes, Interstellar, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight and more – films that are instantly recognisable thanks to their insanely impressive soundtracks.
Although my expertise is focused more in filmmaking rather than music scoring, I have some decent skills composing music on a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Also, I was a pianist playing mainly classical music for over 10 years, so I am knowledgeable in music composition, music reading and writing, improvisation and theory, mainly in the classic symphonic world. I’ve always wanted to utilize this knowledge to help me sharpen my abilities to create my own soundtracks for my films.
Needless to say, I didn’t think twice and decided to take this class. After watching it repeatedly, I’d like to share my experience, thoughts and insights.
First and for foremost, you have to remember this: This class will not teach you how to score music. If you think this course will magically transform you into a music producer, you are wrong. This class is all about giving you inspiration – fragments of abstract information which can be utilized in combination with hard work and years of training. It’s not a practical, hands-on, fully-immersive course. It’s more theoretical and enriching.
A screenshot from the course – Music is a complicated thing
In my opinion, everybody can shoot and edit something, but music is a whole other animal. Music is far more abstract as it involves really creating something from nothing. It’s hard. Very hard. You have to know how to play an instrument – ideally piano – be familiar with compositions, musical scales, reading music and have a musical ear. It takes years of training even before opening your favorite DAW.
This course is not for those just getting started with music, unless they simply want to hear this great man for the purpose of expanding their general knowledge.
The Course
The class is made up of 21 video sessions. Only very few of them are practical, with most of them being theoretical. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but if you want to create music, you have to implement a lot of practical knowledge. Theory is good, but for music production it is not good enough.
My personal DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). The practical way is the only way.
The packaging of this course is very aesthetic and professional, featuring nice camera movement, as well as great location and sound. But again, this alone is not going to transform you into a composer. It just shows you the tip of the iceberg.
The course is divided into 31 chapters. The theoretical chapters deal with concepts like working with directors, partnering with other musicians, creating themes and getting feedback from the audience, while more practical chapters offer insights into topics like making sound palettes, creating with synthesizer, choosing the right tempo and so on. Each chapter tries to dive into and tackle dilemmas through the use of case studies and challenges related to scoring film music.
There is also a Hub: a place where subscribers can share thoughts, works and initiate discussions with each other.
Expect a lot of frustration
Imagine Hans Zimmer sitting near his impressive DAW and keyboard controller. You are dying to see this talented man band over the piano and play some fabulous piece of music so you can inhale some inspiration. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen very often. Hans spends most of the time talking, which does seem like a bit of a miss, at least for me.
Hans is demoing his DAW. Rarely happens in this course.
Take for example a session in the “Themes” class. According to Hans, he likes writing in D. For those who are not familiar with musical scales, this could sound like a bit of an enigma. What does it mean “writing in D”? At this point, there should be a primary basic explanation of musical scales and their critical role in music composition. It would help a lot in understanding the reason for writing in D, as there is indeed a good reason for that.
D scale is mentioned by Hans as his preferred scale. The reason for this should be analyzed through a discussion about music scales and the difference between Minor scales and Major scales and how it contributes to the composing process.
There are a few sections where Hans eventually does play a few notes, but unfortunately we can’t see what those notes are. The camera is focused on the piano, but one can’t see anything. In this case, the camera should ideally cut to a shot of Hans’s hands to explore the notes.
Screenshot from the class. Hans analyses some notes. This only happens a few times throughout the whole course.
When teaching piano online, the most effective location for the camera is above the keyboard in order to see the structure of the hands and position of the fingers.
The camera should be located above the piano to explore the whole keyboard.
Having said that, there are also some wonderful and inspiring hands-on sessions in Hans Zimmer’s MasterClass, like “Creating with Synths”, which is the most practical. In this session, Hans demonstrates how he makes his sound from scratch by using synth plugins.
Hans Zimmer is a synth guy, but the majority of his inspiration comes from classical music. This link between synth-electronic music and classical-symphonic music is most fascinating, and indeed there are a few compelling examples in this course. However, this was not enough for me. I’d like to have seen more examples of fragments taken from known classical pieces merged and combined into synth segments to create a piece of music out of the box.
According to Hans, he never uses presets because he wants to create something from nothing without any limitation! He actually makes fresh palettes for each project, uses them and then throws them away to start from zero in the upcoming project.
In the “Creating with Synths” chapter, you get to travel through Hans’ thoughts to sound creation. It seems like a very complex process that one would like to know about pixel by pixel. This session finally brings a little bit of hands-on knowledge but, in my opinion, this masterclass needs a lot more of this.
This particular session also includes a PDF that provides a basic explanation of synthesizer definitions, but students would need a lot more information on how to produce sounds from a synth in terms of plugins, as well as more detailed demonstrations on how to create particular sounds.
Finally a breakdown of one of Hans’s projects. I’d be eager to see more of this because it is truly engaging, educating and fascinating.
Furthermore, Hans makes his own sound palettes by sampling musicians he knows in order to create samples from scratch. Again, we would need some more evidence from a technical point of view so we can learn and implement this knowledge by ourselves.
The Music Diary session of the Sherlock Holmes score is also a very practical one. Hans presents his virtual orchestra by demoing some layers in the software. However, it is also a mismatch for me since I would like to see how Hans breaks this project down layer by layer in order to discover what is underneath: instruments, parameters, definitions and also a demonstration of how to build the layers and link the sound fragments would be ideal, as this chapter once again remains in the abstract.
Inside the chapter “Theme – Jack Sparrow” there are actually a few more minutes of true practical teaching arising from analyzing one of Hans’s pieces. Surprisingly, some of the notes are shown, which leads to great things. We finally get to see a combination of notes, piano keys and a scene from the movie. This is called teaching! Nevertheless, it’s a rare part of all the sessions.
Conclusion
Hans Zimmer is amazing, humble and a true charmer. His body language reflects his great passion for conveying the story of the film through music. It seems that one of Hans’s goals is to transmit that outburst of strong emotions needed to create story telling by music. He is a true inspiration. That said, in order to utilize this course and actually compose music for films, you need a vast knowledge of playing an instrument, reading notes, expertise in DAWs and a good musical ear. In other words, you have to already be a musician.
On the other hand, if your primary goal is to be generally educated and enriched in film scoring by listening to one of the most fascinating musicians out there, go for it. But remember: there are numerous Hans Zimmer sessions for free on the web.
Bottom line: The Hans Zimmer course at MasterClass is not about teaching, but about inspiration. Is it worth $90? That’s really up to you. In my case, this course really inspired me to actually write some music. Maybe this is exactly what you need as a music composer: the inspiration to give birth to a soundtrack. Thank you, Hans!
Will you be taking this course? Let us know in the comments below!

2016 has been an immense year for video kit with loads of lenses and impressive camera releases. But what whipped up a storm in the sound and audio world? Let’s take a look at what defined the sounds of 2016 in our industry!
Saramonic CaMixer
Back and front of the CaMixer. It’s powered via a standard 9V battery.
This little preamp is a godsend if you’re using a camera that doesn’t have a headphone jack for monitoring audio levels, as is the case with the Sony a6300 or Sony a6500. The Saramonic CaMixer is a coldshoe-mountable audio device that adds much needed connectivity for nailing the right sound levels.
It features two directional microphones that can be plugged in via 3.5mm jack, a mini-XLR input for lavalier microphones, as well as +48v Phantom power. The device output connection takes the captured audio directly into the camera via 3.5mm jack, and you also have the ability to monitor your audio through a mini headphone jack and the LCD screen, a function that is much desired in smaller mirrorless cameras.
For such a small and affordable device, it can really help you nail sound if you’re running a single-system configuration. The Saramonic CaMixer is only available to purchase directly from Saramonic here, with the Smartphone version available from B&H.
You can check out our article about the Saramonic CaMixer from Photokina 2016 here.
Tascam DR-10C Recorders
Tascam DR-10C remote audio recorder for microphones.
For wireless audio setups, monitoring sound levels can be difficult, especially in remote filming conditions. Tascam have tried to remedy such problems with its DR-10C recorder, which takes the microphone signal and records it at two levels so you have a ‘proxy’-like recording, i.e a version recorded at a lower level should your healthy, hot signal clip at any point. The recorder then has a loop out in order to connect to the transmitter pack.
There are two models of recorders depending on what system you’re using. The DR-10CS features locking 3.5mm jack connectors for Sennheiser microphones, while the DR-10CH has mini-XLR connectors for Shure microphones. An additional input/output panel for Sony microphones can be attached to the device too.
The Tascam DR-10C recorders also fix a common problem when capturing wireless audio: signal drop outs and interference. A loss of wireless audio signal results in re-shooting scenes or pieces of dialogue, which sometimes can come across as unprofessional – albeit completely unintentional – and sometimes isn’t possible at all. As the audio is recorded remotely, you don’t need to re-shoot the dialogue when using the Tascam.
Unfortunately, though, the DR-10C is only available in Europe at the time of this writing.
You can check out our article about the Tascam DR-10C from Inter BEE 2016 here.
RØDE Rodelink Newsshooter Kit
RodeLink Newsshooter Transmitter
For electronic news gathering with reporters and journalists, having a plug and play solution for wireless sound is key for fast paced environments. The RodeLink Newsshooter kit transmitter plugs into existing handheld XLR microphones, or can take a 3.5mm jack input from a lavalier, and works nicely with the Rode Filmmaker receiver. For a condensed setup, the need for an XLR cable from a microphone to recorder or camera is removed, and gives the reporter or on screen presenter free movement.
For noisy environments, the reporter can also use the headphone output to monitor their own audio, a feature that isn’t included in many wireless audio kits. Phantom power can also be used for XLR microphones, making it very flexible and independent of particular systems or brands.
You can check out our review of the RØDE Rodelink Newsshooter Kit here.
Filmstro Pro
Filmstro Pro music composition software and plug-in.
This does not technically fit into “gear” – yet finding soundtracks and music for video productions has never been easier, with so many music licensing websites such as MusicBed or Audio Network. However, finding a piece of music that perfectly fits the emotion or pace of a scene can be much more difficult.
Filmstro Pro has transformed that problem by providing a library of a multitude of tracks, from fast-paced action to peaceful ambient, which can then be edited and adjusted to add dynamics to the scene. Keyframe controls of ‘momentum’, ‘depth’ and ‘power’ of each track can be used to build up to a specific part of the video scene, adding a sense of well-timed drama.
We’ve really come to love Filmstro Pro over here at cinema5D, which is why we started “Music Month” last December, a three-part video series that deals with music for film in general. It deals with how every piece of music consists of ‘momentum’, ‘depth’ and ‘power’ and how to actually apply that to your own productions:
Part 1: Seeing Music (for Film) – the fundamental building blocks of musicPart 2: The Psychology of Music for Film Part 3: Filmstro Pro Premiere Panal – a Tutorial
Filmstro Pro provides users an ideal platform for scoring a soundtrack to their videos, with many options for use as a base track, and adding unique flexibility to adjust the composition to suit your particular needs.
Filmstro Pro can be used as a standalone app as well as a plug-in for Premiere Pro, removing the need to export the video sequence and round-tripping between apps.
You can download Filmstro from filmstro.com, and make sure you use the coupon code “CINEMA5D” to get 1 month of free access.
You can check out our article about Filmstro Pro here.
Have there been any sound or audio kit that you’ve loved in 2016? Let us know in the comments!